National School Lunch Week Proclamation
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

Our Nation's future depends on fulfilling
the promise in our children. As parents, teachers, community
activists, governmental leaders, and concerned citizens, we must
strongly commit ourselves to ensuring that our young people receive the
care, education, and resources they need to realize their potential.

Since 1946, the National School Lunch
Program has played an important part in pursuing that goal, by serving
schoolchildren nutritious, well-balanced meals. Currently,
the National School Lunch Program daily provides more than 27 million
lunches in more than 97,700 schools. Of the children who
participate in this program, 57 percent receive their meals for free or
at a reduced price. For many of them, lunch is their only
meal of the day that meets recommended nutritional guidelines.

The National School Lunch Program
contributes to the development of healthy eating habits among our
children. The Program's Team Nutrition Initiative focuses on
teaching and motivating children to make food choices that enhance
their energy, growth, and potential.

The Program is vitally important to
achieving our educational goals. Poorly fed children have more
difficulty learning, are less attentive in class, and suffer more
chronic problems, such as absenteeism and tardiness, than children who
are properly nourished. By making nutritious meals available
to all schoolchildren, the National School Lunch Program will help us
ensure that we leave no child behind.

In recognition of the contributions of the
National School Lunch Program to the health, education, and well-being
of our Nation's children, the Congress, by joint reso-lution of October
9, 1962 (Public Law 87-780), has designated the week beginning on the
second Sunday in October of each year as "National School Lunch Week"
and has requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance
of this week.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH,
President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October
14 through October 20, 2001, as National School Lunch
Week. I call upon all Americans to join the dedicated
individuals who lead child nutrition programs at the State and local
levels in appropriate activities and celebrations that promote these
programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my
hand this fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand one, and of the Independence of the United States of America
the two hundred and twenty-sixth.